The NASCAR world is getting ready for its second road course event of the season at Watkins Glen International this weekend, but for many fans, the trip has turned into a slog through rain and mud.
What was supposed to be a race weekend has, in parts, become a battle against the elements, with campgrounds taking the brunt of the chaos.
The weekend at Watkins Glen was supposed to be the usual race weekend set up, yet they are metaphorically and literally axle-deep in mud, with someone saying that a May race weekend in upstate New York was a bad plan from the start.
For the first time in decades, the race, traditionally held in August, was moved to the May 8-10 window, but per posts on social media, the fallout from this major shift has hit campers from the moment they arrived.
Heavy rain and cold temperatures turned sections of the grounds into swamps, creating problems across multiple camping areas.
Photos and videos show fans struggling to get their vehicles free after sinking into the mud, while others could not even enter their assigned campsites because entire sections were flooded and shut down.
One fan vented on X, writing: “If anyone is curious about the camping conditions at @WGI, here you go. Move the race back to August, @NASCAR. What a joke. #NASCAR They literally have tractors pulling campers. They are closing camping sections because of mud.”
Photos from across the property show a traffic jam of vehicles spinning their tires and stuck in the ground.
In several cases, tractors were brought in to tow campers and cars from areas where the terrain gave way under the weight. Fans described the grounds as thick with mud, with movement around the site becoming a chore long before engines fired on track.
The timing of the event has also sparked complaints beyond the weather. Families traveling to the race said the May placement created issues with school schedules, forcing some children to miss classes in order to attend the event.
For many longtime attendees used to the August slot, and even a few fans who had never been to the track, the announcement of the calendar switch last fall has felt like a wrench thrown into tradition.
As race week pushes forward, fans at the track are advising those yet to arrive to prepare for mud-heavy conditions and wet terrain, with many now packing boots, rain gear, and anything else that can survive a weekend.
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